Reported speech - B2

Tense changes in reported speech; reporting in the same tense; verbs for reporting; verbs for reporting with to infinitive; reporting questions; reference to time, place, etc.

You are going to hear a radio interview. Rachel, a reporter in the studio, is talking to a man called James Baker, who is sailing in a round-the-world yacht race.

1. What do you think she is asking him?

2. Listen and check if you were right.

Later, Rachel tells a colleague about the conversation.

3. Read what Rachel says, then listen again and fill in the gaps with James’s actual words.

1. Rachel: James told me he was about 100 kilometres off the coast of Australia.

James: ‘I’m about 100 kilometres off the coast of Australia.’

2. Rachel: He said he hadn’t seen another boat for a few days.

James: ‘I _______ another boat for a few days.’

3. Rachel: He said he thought he might win.

James: ‘I _______ win.’

4. Rachel: He said there had been a terrible storm.

James: ‘There _______ a terrible storm.’

5. Rachel: He said he hadn’t slept for three days.

James: ‘I _______ for three days.’

6. Rachel: He told me the sea was calm, the sun was shining.

James: ‘The sea _______ calm, the sun _______ .’

7. Rachel: He said that he could sometimes see sharks and dolphins swimming.

James: ‘I _______ sometimes see sharks and dolphins swimming.’

8. Rachel: He said he would spend two hours in a hot bath.

James: ‘I _______ two hours in a hot bath.’

9. Rachel: He said he had to get his hair cut.

James: ‘I _______ my hair cut.’

4. Complete the questions that Rachel asked. Then listen again to check.

Can you see any pattern to the changes to the tenses in Exercises 3 and 4?

When we report what someone else said, we are usually reporting at a later time so we change the tenses used by the original speaker.

The following verbs do not change when they are reported at a later time:

You ought to buy a new coat in the sale. ➞ My mum said I ought to buy a new coat in the sale.

They used to live in California. ➞ He said they used to live in California.

When we report must, we can use either must or had to in the reported speech but had to is more common:

Kate: ‘I must buy some fruit.’ ➞ Kate said she had to / must buy some fruit.

Paul: ‘You mustn’t tell Sally our secret.’ ➞ Paul said we mustn’t tell Sally our secret.

Sarah: ‘Jim must be tired after the flight.’ ➞ Sarah said Jim must be tired after the flight.

Amy: ‘I’ve missed the bus so I’ll be a bit late.’ ➞ Amy says she’s missed the bus so she’ll be a bit late.

Robert: ‘I have three sisters’. ➞ Robert said he has three sisters.

or Robert said he had three sisters.

Carlo: ‘I’m getting married in June.’ ➞ Carlo said he is getting married in June.

Carlo said he was getting married in June.

We often use say and tell to report what somebody said:

He said to me (that) he was going to win.

(not He said me)

He told them (that) he was going to win.

(not He told to them / He told that)

He told them (that) he was going to win.

(not He told to them / He told that)

We can use other reporting verbs instead of say and tell. Some verbs are like tell:

He reminded me (that) it was his birthday.

She persuaded me (that) I should buy a different car.

He informed me (that) he had a new job.

They warned us (that) the bridge was in a dangerous condition.

Some verbs are nearly always followed by that and we use to if mentioning the person spoken to:

I mentioned (to my uncle) that Nicholas had found a new job.

The attendant pointed out that the pool would be closed on Saturday.

She complained (to the waiter) that the food was cold.

He explained (to us) that volcanic activity often caused earthquakes.

After agree we use with for the person spoken to:

Jack agreed (with me) that the film was brilliant.

Some verbs are nearly always followed by that but do not mention the person spoken to:

He answered that he had already read the report.

She replied that she didn’t know my cousin.

We usually report orders and requests by using tell or ask + object + to infinitive:

‘Be quiet!’ ➞ The teacher told us to be quiet. (= an order)

‘Don’t stay out late.’ ➞ Dad told me not to stay out late. (= an order)

‘Please help me!’ ➞ He asked us to help him. (= a request)

‘Could you carry my bag, please?’ ➞ She asked me to carry her bag. (a request)

‘You should vote for me.’ ➞ He advised us to vote for him.

‘We could help you.’ ➞ They offered to help me.

‘I’ll be a good leader.’ ➞ He promised to be a good leader.

‘OK. I’ll help you do the shopping.’➞ He agreed to help me do the shopping.

Questions are reported using the word order of a statement rather than a question.

Questions with question words (who, what, etc.) keep these words in the reported speech:

‘How do you feel?’ ➞ Rachel asked James how he felt. (not how did he feel)

‘What’s the weather like?’ ➞ She asked (him) what the weather was like. (not what was the weather like)

Yes/no questions are reported with if or whether:

‘Can you hear me?’ ➞ Rachel asked James if/whether he could hear her.

‘Is the sea calm?’ ➞ Rachel wanted to know if/whether the sea was calm.

We use the same structure when we ask politely for information:

Can you tell me what time the next train leaves?

I’d like to know if there’s a flight to Australia next Thursday.

Depending on how close in time we are to the original situation, we often have to change references to time when we report what someone said:

‘We didn’t do any work yesterday.’ ➞ They admitted that they hadn’t done any work the day before.

‘Will the library be open tomorrow?’ ➞ She enquired whether the library would be open the following day.

‘I have to go now or I’ll miss my bus.’ ➞ He explained that he had to go right then or he’d miss his bus.

Other changes may include:

here ➞ there

this ➞ that/the

Other changes may include:

‘I saw him here yesterday‘ ➞ She explained that she had seen him there the day before.

What’s this red box?’ ➞ He wanted to know what the red box was.